As is well known in the archery field, the original vanes fletchings for arrows were formed from feathers. The industry has now substantially gone to plastic or other non-natural material vanes. When using feathers the vanes would collapse as they passed by the bow upon being shot and resume a radial position after passing the same. With plastic elements it is necessary to provide for some sort of collapsing of the vane as it contacts the bow with proper radial return after passing the same or the arrow will be mistracked from its aimed direction.
In his search of the prior art the applicant has only found two particular patents that appear to be directed to collapsible vane structures. These include the U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,403 to Austin and a Design U.S. Pat. No. D243,527 to Schnipke.
The Austin patent includes a plurality of individual barbs of soft, flexible plastic of a two sided angularly arranged cross section to nest into one another upon the application of a radial compression force such as would be obtained in passing the bow structure.
The patent to Schnipke is a Design patent wherein the vane of the arrow appears to be preformed into an arcuate bow such that upon passing a solid structure it will be further compressed obliquely to the arrow body.
Therefore, the Austin patent appears to be the only applicable art which is directed to possible radial inline collapsing of the vane.
It is therefore an object of the applicant's invention to provide a plastic vane for an archery arrow which will compress in direct radial linear fashion as the arrow is shot past the bow and the vane comes in contact with the bow.
It is still a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a vane for an archery arrow which includes a curvilinear mounting surface for attachment of the same to the arrow with a plurality of convoluted or pleated sections extending radially outward and rearwardly from a forwardmost end and wherein the size and shape of the individual convolutes is determined to provide what may be termed a radial inline compression of the vane member. These vanes could also be parallel of the shaft.
It is still a further object of the applicant's invention to provide a vane for an archery arrow which includes a plurality of convoluted or pleated sections arranged to extend radially outwardly and rearwardly from a forwardmost end of the vane, which pleated members are joined with a particular joinder configuration to insure bending and compression thereof against one another in direct radial direction and to, after compression force is released, extend radially outwardly from the arrow.
These and other objects and advantages of the applicant's invention will more thoroughly appear from the accompanying description made in association with the accompanying drawings.